According to Patrick Lombardo excellent book " Kenpo: Fragments d'une histoire inconnue" the term Shaolin Kenpo was sujested by William Chow to Fred Villari to distinguish his "new" style from Ed Parker's American Kenpo. The book also mentions that this style is probably closest to how Chow taught Kenpo on Hawai.

Chow, a fantastic martial artist died destitute (Castro found him collecting cans to survive and brought him to California to live with his family until his death) and Vallari has made tons of money teaching, from what I've picked up here, a watered down bullshit martial art. Probably not "the closest to how Chow taught."

"Preparing mentally, the most important thing is, if you aren't doing it for the love of it, then don't do it." - Benny Urquidez

Chow, a fantastic martial artist died destitute (Castro found him collecting cans to survive and brought him to California to live with his family until his death) and Vallari has made tons of money teaching, from what I've picked up here, a watered down bullshit martial art. Probably not "the closest to how Chow taught."

And I was mistaken. The book states Ralph Castro as the creator of Shaolin Kenpo, not Villari.

You are facing a Trifecta combo of a questionable style, bad instruction and being overpriced. Oh and major attitude problems – it’s the daily Superfecta!

Your review did bring back memories of my time at Freddie's - before you were born - and to this day I may have had one of the better instructors in his “system”.

Lesson One Grasshopper,

You are not a student at these types of franchise places – you are an income stream – let’s recap the projected first eighteen months of study as hundreds-of-thousands of Ke?po students who have gone before you.

I wrote your place is overpriced versus the number of weekly classes offered (please re-confirm)?? At least one of Freddie’s innovative business differentiators was to offer a full-time studio with Afternoon-Evening-Saturday classes compared to a part-time TMA dojo.

During the first 1.5 years you will probably be offered four exam opportunities @ $50 so that is $200 profit less the “wholesale belt costs”. I would say these low rank exams have a 95% pass rate, funny thing.

But then come the private lessons – or should we say semi-privates – that’s where real money is – if you can convince the mark to invest in taking biweekly sessions to learn the more advanced techniques early or get specialized attention - that’s eighty more sheckels a month – times eighteen months is $1,440.

So now the student has invested over $3,400 and are now the shadow of getting a {insert color here} belt rank where you really start learning the deadly stuff!

This isn’t even talking about long-term contract scams which many of these type places often have.

You are so right. After I had been training there for a few weeks there was some definite pressure for me to fork more money over to join privates because they are a "better deal." When I didn't there was some weird attitude coming from the owner.

Oh yeah! Another thing! I was supposed to test to be a yellow belt and I showed up to the morning class that happens before the test. I already paid the $50 testing fee (which is pretty damn high IMO). The GM then said that I don't have to take the test because I am an experienced martial artist so I can get my friend who stopped showing up to start coming to classes. It was weird because I didn't see how taking the test and getting my friend to start coming in again were related, but I took the offer. They still have my $50. That is money that is supposed to go to my next test but there's not gonna be a next test for me. I'm leaving before that.

Dagger, seek life elsewhere. I can't certainly say if the situation are compareable but I train in American Kenpo 3-4 times a week, I pay 250 € a year and grading is continuous... And I get beat up all the time while sparring, which is awesome.